Lane · FLAT · Oct 2026

Santa Barbara, CA to Chicago, IL flatbed rate

$8,475flatbed

+3.4% from last month

Per mile: $3.98
Distance: 2,128 mi
Typical range: $7,288–$9,661
Transit: 5 days

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Flatbed · estimated all-in cost per load · monthly

Santa Barbara to Chicago price history

3 months: +8.7%
1 year: +18.4%
5 years: +24.8%

Cost breakdown

Linehaul: $6,396
Fuel: $2,079
All-in estimate: $8,475

Return trip

Chicago → Santa Barbara$7,767

This direction runs 9% above the return trip. Leaving CA prices above the national average and arriving in IL prices below it.

Santa Barbara to Chicago by truck type

Estimated cost from Santa Barbara, CA to Chicago, IL by truck type
Truck type	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range
53' dry van	$7,073	$3.32	$6,295 – $7,851
53' refrigerated	$8,424	$3.96	$7,329 – $9,519
48' flatbed	$8,475	$3.98	$7,288 – $9,661
Step deck	$9,220	$4.33	$7,745 – $10,695
Power only	$6,290	$2.96	$5,472 – $7,107
Hotshot	$4,749	$2.23	$3,941 – $5,556
26' box truck	$4,638	$2.18	$3,942 – $5,333
Sprinter van	$2,829	$1.33	$2,376 – $3,282

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The index is an estimate. For a price you can act on, ask connected freight providers for a live 53' dry van rate, or send the load details and get quoted for any truck type.

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More lanes from Santa Barbara

48' flatbed lanes from Santa Barbara, CA
To	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	2,969 mi	$15,561	$5.24	$13,382 – $17,739	7 d
Los Angeles, CA	93 mi	$1,370	$14.73	$1,178 – $1,562	1 d
Houston, TX	1,717 mi	$7,391	$4.30	$6,357 – $8,426	4 d
Phoenix, AZ	520 mi	$3,187	$6.13	$2,740 – $3,633	2 d
Philadelphia, PA	2,900 mi	$14,491	$5.00	$12,462 – $16,519	7 d
San Antonio, TX	1,517 mi	$6,656	$4.39	$5,724 – $7,587	4 d
San Diego, CA	218 mi	$1,814	$8.32	$1,560 – $2,068	1 d
Dallas, TX	1,561 mi	$6,817	$4.37	$5,863 – $7,772	4 d

More lanes into Chicago

48' flatbed lanes into Chicago, IL
From	Miles	Estimate	Per mile	Typical range	Transit
New York, NY	847 mi	$2,984	$3.52	$2,566 – $3,401	2 d
Los Angeles, CA	2,063 mi	$8,247	$4.00	$7,092 – $9,402	5 d
Houston, TX	1,106 mi	$3,448	$3.12	$2,965 – $3,931	3 d
Phoenix, AZ	1,705 mi	$4,019	$2.36	$3,456 – $4,581	4 d
Philadelphia, PA	787 mi	$2,510	$3.19	$2,159 – $2,861	2 d
San Antonio, TX	1,236 mi	$3,769	$3.05	$3,241 – $4,296	3 d
San Diego, CA	2,034 mi	$8,145	$4.00	$7,005 – $9,286	5 d
Dallas, TX	942 mi	$3,044	$3.23	$2,618 – $3,470	2 d

About this lane

How much does it cost to ship a truckload from Santa Barbara, CA to Chicago, IL?

A 48' flatbed from Santa Barbara, CA to Chicago, IL is estimated at $8,475 all-in in October 2026, or $3.98 a mile over about 2,128 mi. Quotes typically land between $7,288 and $9,661.

How far is Santa Barbara, CA from Chicago, IL by truck?

About 2,128 mi by road, estimated from the straight-line distance. A solo driver covers it in roughly 5 days of transit.

How much of the price is fuel?

About $2,079 of the $8,475 estimate is fuel at the current national diesel price; the remaining $6,396 is linehaul.

Is it cheaper to ship from Chicago, IL to Santa Barbara, CA?

The reverse direction is estimated at $7,767, which makes Santa Barbara, CA to Chicago, IL 9% more expensive. Direction matters because trucks are scarcer leaving some markets than others.

Lane history applies the current origin and destination adjustments to the national series back to December 2003. Methodology